20+ Trusted Halloween Marketing Ideas for Omnichannel Growth

Halloween is the unofficial kick-off to BFCM. In 2025, shoppers are starting earlier, actively looking for themed products, experiences, and events that build momentum into the holiday season. And every channel is shifting: 

• Ecommerce: AR and AI personalization are now the standard.
  
• Social media: TikTok and Reels dominate discovery with fast, trend-driven content.
  
• Offline/local: Shoppers expect hybrid events that mix in-store excitement with online amplification.
  
• Email & SMS: Personalization, loyalty tie-ins, and interactive formats are the new baseline.
  

The takeaway? Success comes from a multi-channel strategy, early planning, and creative execution. 

This guide breaks down the most effective Halloween marketing ideas for 2025. So, it helps you capture attention, boost conversions, and strengthen loyalty across every touchpoint. 

Let’s dive into it! 

What Are the Key Consumer Insights for Halloween 2025?

Halloween 2025 is expected to surpass $12 billion in spending, confirming its position as one of the most powerful Halloween marketing seasons to date. The opportunity is huge, but only for brands that understand how consumer behavior is evolving.

First, Gen Z is setting the pace. Their decisions are shaped by TikTok trends, meme culture, and viral challenges. One viral video can make a costume or candy sell out in hours,  just like in many successful holiday marketing campaigns. For them, the value isn’t just in the product, it’s in the experience (trying on outfits with AR filters, joining a livestream shopping event, or showing up at seasonal pop-ups they can share online).

Within this shift, several industry insights stand out:

• Confectionery: “Summerween” is emerging as a second candy holiday, already growing 6% faster than the main season.
  
• Costumes & décor: Retro icons and DIY hacks dominate Pinterest trends, blending nostalgia with creativity.
  
• Sustainability: Eco-friendly costumes, reusable décor, and low-waste packaging are quickly moving from nice-to-have to expected.
  
• Retail & eCommerce: Brands are launching promotions earlier, bundling products flexibly, and keeping inventory agile.
  
• Entertainment & community: Streaming marathons, DIY tutorials, and pet costumes keep audiences engaged long after checkout.
  

In short,  Halloween marketing ideas 2025 are about creating cultural moments people want to be part of.

For more inspiration beyond Halloween, check out our holiday marketing strategies to see how brands plan campaigns across the whole season.

What Are the Best Halloween Marketing Ideas for Ecommerce Stores?

For eCommerce stores, the winning formula in 2025 will be: combine creativity, urgency, and community. Below, explore proven Halloween promotion ideas, mapped to every stage of the customer journey

1. Awareness & engagement

At the top of the funnel, your goal is to grab attention and get people talking. Creative Halloween advertising ideas should make shoppers stop scrolling and feel curious enough to interact with your brand:

• Storefront and theme makeover: One of the easiest ways to get shoppers into the spirit is to give your store a Halloween makeover. If you’re on Shopify, a theme like Sleek makes this easy. Its structure is optimized for product display and lets you quickly update banners, featured collections, and layouts for seasonal campaigns. Some specific ideas include: 
  
  • Fashion retailers can turn the homepage hero into a “Haunted Runway,” showcasing Halloween costumes or limited-edition outfits with dramatic visuals.
    
  • Beauty brands can spotlight Halloween makeup kits or dark nail colors in Sleek’s product-focused layouts, styled with moody backgrounds.
    
  • Food and beverage shops can promote Halloween bundles (candies, snacks, pumpkin drinks) right at the top of the page, framed by seasonal banners.
    
  • Home décor stores can transform their product grid into a “Haunted Room” display, grouping themed lights, wall decals, and candles together.
    
  • Pet stores can feature Halloween pet costumes, supported by playful, spooky banners and seasonal highlight sections.

• AR costume and makeup try-ons: 250 million users engage with AR filters each day. For e-commerce brands, Halloween is the perfect chance to channel that excitement into product consideration. These playful tools often work even better when paired with themed products, as shown in our roundup of best festival merchandise ideas. And here are some practical ideas by sector: 
  
  • Fashion retailers could launch a “try on your costume” AR filter with witch hats or vampire fangs.
    
  • Beauty brands could let shoppers preview bold Halloween makeup looks. 
    
  • Even eyewear stores can offer “pumpkin glasses” filters.

• • Gamified shopping: Halloween is all about play, like hidden surprises, quick games, and countdowns, which keep shoppers engaged. The problem is that most stores can’t launch these fast without coding. With Foxify, you can build dedicated landing pages, swap layouts, and add gamified sections in minutes.

For example: 

• Fashion retailers can roll out a Halloween microsite where shoppers uncover hidden pumpkins in product images to unlock discount codes.
  
• Home décor stores can build a “Haunted Room Challenge” page, letting visitors mix and match décor items and unlock bundle deals once they complete a set.
• Stationery brands can design a spooky quiz page styled like a notebook, guiding customers toward curated bundles based on their “Halloween vibe.”
  
• Beauty brands can add a spin-the-wheel block that instantly reveals discounts on seasonal palettes or nail kits.
  
• Food and beverage shops can create a daily countdown page where each day reveals a new Halloween treat or bundle.
  

2. Consideration

Once awareness is built, Halloween marketing ideas should focus on deepening interest with bundles, exclusivity, and thematic relevance: 

Halloween-themed bundles and cross-sells:  Bundling is one of the most profitable Halloween sales ideas. And this is where Foxkit shines (for Shopify merchants) as its upsell and cross-sell tools, layered with boosters and analytics, let you turn Halloween packs into real AOV drivers.

• Food brands can roll out “Trick-or-Treat Essentials” and let Foxkit prompt shoppers to add matching popcorn or cocoa.
  
• Apparel retailers can launch “Pumpkin Party Packs” while Foxkit nudges buyers toward socks or totes that complete the look.
  
• Home décor stores can bundle “Haunted Room Kits” and use Foxkit pop-ups to suggest candles or tableware for the perfect setup.
  
• Pet shops can sell “Spooky Treat Packs” with Foxkit surfacing costumes or toys before checkout.

Pre-order limited Halloween drops: Scarcity builds demand, and Halloween exclusives sell out fast.

• Apparel retailers can open pre-orders for glow-in-the-dark sneakers, skeleton hoodies, or capsule collections inspired by cult horror movies.
  
• Coffee or tea brands might launch pumpkin spice kits with collectible mugs or cauldron-shaped infusers. 
  
• Toy companies could sell limited plush ghosts or vampire figurines. 
  

3. Purchase & conversion

This is where Halloween marketing ideas must create urgency and drive customers to act: 

• Flash sales with countdown timers: Urgency is at the heart of effective Halloween sales ideas, as timers can boost conversions by up to 9%. Let’s see some actionable ideas by industry:
  
  • Fashion stores can run “Midnight Madness” flash deals on costumes and partywear.
    
  • Candy brands might discount family-size trick-or-treat packs for 24 hours.
    
  • Home décor retailers can host limited “Pumpkin Light Hour” sales on lighting and inflatables. 
    
  • Pet shops might run “One Night Only” promotions on themed costumes. 

• Free gift with purchase: Freebies turn regular promotions into memorable Halloween promotional ideas. Therefore:
  
  • Beauty retailers can include glow-in-the-dark nail polish or web decals. 
    Meanwhile, food brands might add mini pumpkin candy packs or Halloween marshmallows. 
    
  • Apparel retailers could surprise shoppers with enamel pins or spooky socks. 
    
  • Pet shops can reward orders with themed toys or pumpkin-flavored treats. 
    
• Seasonal upsells at checkout:  Checkout is the ideal moment to nudge shoppers with quick, low-cost Halloween promotional items:
  
  • Costume stores can suggest add-ons like vampire fangs, fake blood kits, or witch brooms. 
    
  • Beauty brands might upsell glow body glitter or black lipstick. 
    
  • Home décor sellers can highlight mini pumpkins or themed candles. 
    
  • Stationery brands could suggest pumpkin pen sets or Halloween washi tape. 
    

4. Post-purchase & loyalty

Halloween offers shouldn’t stop after the sale. Post-purchase strategies turn seasonal buyers into repeat customers for future holidays: 

• Loyalty perks - “Treat Points”: Seasonal spins on loyalty programs create repeat engagement. Stores can award double points on all Halloween purchases, with bonus points for buying themed bundles or limited drops.  For instance:
  
  • Beauty brands could give extra points when customers share Halloween makeup looks online. 
    
  • Pet stores could reward pet costume photo
    
  • Décor retailers can incentivize sharing “haunted home” setups. 

• Exclusive rewards for top fans: Halloween buyers can be rewarded with special treatment. Take examples: 
  
  • Apparel brands might give them early access to Black Friday deals. 
    
  • Food and beverage companies can send samples of secret holiday flavors. 
    
  • Home décor retailers can share exclusive winter coupons
    
  • Toy brands can unlock collectible add-ons for repeat customers.
    

Read more seasonal insights on our eCommerce marketing blog. All articles are newly updated! 

What Halloween Marketing Ideas Work Best on Social Media? 

Social media is where Halloween energy peaks, costumes, décor, and memes go viral in hours. Let’s check the Halloween marketing ideas that can perform best on platforms like TikTok, Instagram this year:

1. TikTok transformation challenges & trending sounds.

TikTok reported that transformation videos had a 45% higher completion rate than static content, meaning viewers watch them to the end. For Halloween campaign ideas, this format naturally aligns with makeup, costumes, and décor—areas where before-and-after storytelling is strongest. For example: 

• Beauty brands can create “from office to vampire” makeup challenges using trending sounds.
  
• Fashion retailers can show quick outfit switches from casual clothes to full Halloween costumes or party looks.
  
• Home décor stores can feature transformations where plain living rooms turn into haunted spaces filled with lights, skeletons, and pumpkins.
  
• Food & beverage brands can share short clips of regular desserts transforming into spooky treats like cupcakes with candy spiders or glow-in-the-dark drinks.
  
• Fitness studios can film trainers switching from normal workout gear to Halloween-themed costumes mid-routine.

2. UGC contests (pumpkin carving, spooky décor).

User-generated content works because it’s authentic and cost-efficient. Nielsen reports that 92% of consumers trust UGC more than branded ads. The season already inspires DIY creativity, so tapping into it means brands get free content while boosting engagement. Some inspiring Halloween promotion ideas include: 

• Home décor brands can run a “Haunted Room Contest” where shoppers post photos of their decorated spaces.
• Food companies can invite customers to share pumpkin carving entries or Halloween snack table setups.
• Apparel retailers can encourage costume selfies styled with their own clothing lines.
• Stationery shops can feature Halloween journaling spreads or scrapbook layouts made by fans.
• Beauty brands can host a “best spooky makeup look” challenge with prizes for the most creative entries.
  

3. Meme-based seasonal campaigns

Memes spread quickly and let brands appear timely and relatable. For Halloween, pumpkins, costumes, and candy are natural meme material. So,  this is a low-cost but high-impact Halloween content idea. Looking for inspiration? 

• Apparel brands can adapt trending meme formats with jokes about party outfits or the classic “sexy costume” trope.
• Food and beverage brands can lean into pumpkin spice humor, candy-trade memes, or viral recipe jokes.
• Tech retailers can play with themes like “ghosting Wi-Fi,” haunted laptops, or glow-in-the-dark gadgets.
• Pet shops can post memes of pets in oversized costumes or awkward Halloween setups.
• Travel brands can join the conversation with memes about “haunted getaways” or “spooky road trips.”

4. Influencer collabs

Influencers drive seasonal discovery, with AspireIQ noting that campaigns with influencers during holidays generate 2x higher engagement rates. Partnering with influencers makes products part of real celebrations. Across industries, these Halloween campaign ideas can bring your brand to life:

• Toy companies can collaborate with unboxers to reveal Halloween-themed collectibles or plush toys.
• Fashion retailers can invite style influencers to create “costume from your closet” challenges using their apparel.
  
• Beauty brands can team up with makeup artists to post tutorials for bold Halloween looks.
• Home décor stores can partner with lifestyle influencers to stage haunted house setups or spooky table designs.
• Food brands can work with bakers or mixologists to showcase Halloween recipes and themed drinks.

What Are Effective Halloween Marketing Ideas for Email and SMS?

In 2025, shoppers expect more than discount blasts; they want timely, personalized, and interactive experiences that match the energy of the holiday. So, the best Halloween content ideas for these channels blend creativity with data: subject lines that intrigue, countdowns that build momentum, and interactive coupons that turn inboxes into mini-games.  Let's dive into the specific ideas:

1. Haunted subject lines with urgency

Subject lines are the first hook, and urgency makes them irresistible. Our team also observed through our own email campaigns that emails with urgency keywords (“today,” “last chance”) lifted transaction rates. Halloween is perfect for playful, spooky twists that grab attention. Now let's get some examples: 

• Fashion retailers can send subject lines like “Last Chance to Haunt the Party – Costumes Going Fast 👻.”
• Food and beverage brands can write “Trick-or-Treat Deal Ends at Midnight 🍬.”
• Beauty brands can entice with “Don’t Ghost This Look – Vampire Kits 20% Off.”
• Home décor stores can stand out with “Your Haunted Room Awaits – Shop Before It’s Gone.”
• Bookshops can hook readers with “Final Chapter: Scary Good Deals End Tonight 📚👀.”
• Streaming platforms can create buzz with “Binge Before the Witching Hour – Halloween Specials Vanish Soon.”

2. Countdown sequences leading up to Oct 31st

Countdown campaigns build anticipation and keep your brand top-of-mind. Plus, it can increase urgency-driven conversions. For Halloween promotion, a sequence might begin two weeks out and intensify daily as October 31 approaches. Let’s break it down with some ideas: 

• Craft stores can share a “DIY Countdown,” showcasing one Halloween project idea daily, like candle holders, masks, or wreaths.
  
• Candy brands can send a seven-day countdown with reminders to stock up before trick-or-treat night.
  
• Apparel stores can run a “Costume Countdown,” unveiling one new product or bundle each day.
  
• Home décor shops can feature items in phases - pumpkin lights, wall decals, and tableware - building excitement as Halloween gets closer.
  
• Toy brands can do a “Monster Toy Countdown,” revealing limited-edition Halloween collectibles leading up to the holiday.

3. Interactive scratch-to-reveal coupons

Interactivity boosts both open rates and click-throughs. And scratch-to-reveal coupons tap into the Halloween spirit by giving shoppers the thrill of uncovering a hidden “treat,” which makes them one of the more playful Halloween advertising ideas to try this season. For example:

• Beauty brands can send scratch-to-reveal emails that unlock discounts on limited-edition Halloween kits.
• Food and beverage companies can design scratch emails that reveal free candy bags or surprise “mystery flavor” discounts.
• Apparel stores can offer scratch coupons in their newsletters that deliver hidden deals on costumes or accessories.
• Stationery shops can include scratch cards in email campaigns that uncover rewards like Halloween stickers, washi tape, or notebooks.
  

4. Themed SMS flash alerts

SMS delivers instant impact, with Klaviyo data showing 98% open rates and more than 30% engagement on flash offers. Themed text alerts are one of the quickest Halloween sales ideas to capture attention and drive last-minute conversions. For example:

• Fashion retailers can send messages like “🎃 Flash Deal: 20% off all costumes until midnight!”
  
• Food brands can engage shoppers with “👻 Trick-or-Treat Special – Free candy with orders over $25 (2 hours only).”
  
• Home décor shops can build urgency with “🕷 Haunted Hour: Pumpkin lights 15% off – shop before 10 pm.”
  
• Tech brands can promote limited products with “⚡ Glow Gear Drop – Limited neon accessories only today.”
  
• Pet shops can charm customers with “🐾 Costume Flash Sale: 15% off pet outfits until midnight!”
  

What Halloween Marketing Ideas Help Local Stores Attract Shoppers?

1. Trick-or-treat in-store events

In-person trick-or-treating is a timeless attraction, especially for families. As one of the most engaging Halloween event ideas, it gives brands a chance to create real community moments while boosting store traffic: 

• Candy shops and bakeries can hand out free mini treats to kids while upselling family-sized packs.
  
• Bookstores or stationery shops can give candy with every children’s book purchase and promote Halloween sticker sets.
  
• Pet stores can run a “trick-or-treat for pets” event with themed biscuits or toy giveaways.
  
• Coffee shops can hand out Halloween-themed drink samples along with candy at checkout.
  
• Toy stores can create trick-or-treat stations in aisles, guiding kids through a fun in-store path.
  

2. Storefront décor 

Want to stand out this Halloween? Try these creative Halloween storefront ideas: 

• Fashion boutiques can create a “Zombie Runway.” Mannequins wear the store’s clothes styled into torn, blood-stained costumes, while red strobe lights add a haunted catwalk effect. This makes shoppers see the same clothes in a fun, seasonal way.
  
• Restaurants and cafés can design a “Witch’s Kitchen Window.” A bubbling cauldron with dry ice sets the mood, while pizzas shaped like monster eyes and pumpkin cupcakes from the menu are displayed as spooky centerpieces. Passersby get both a show and a taste of what’s inside.
  
• Home décor and improvement shops can stage a “Living Room from the Afterlife.” Sofas are covered in ghostly white sheets, lamps glow with eerie purple bulbs, and rugs show bloody footprints. Everything on display can be bought directly from the store.

3. Haunted late-night shopping

Extending hours with a haunted twist combines exclusivity with atmosphere. Evening events are memorable Halloween promotional ideas that encourage impulse buying:

• Fashion boutiques can host “Spooky Midnight Sales.” Limited-edition items are released only after dark, with eerie music creating a runway-like vibe that makes the shopping feel like an event.
• Home décor stores can keep their doors open into the night. Dim lighting, fog machines, and creepy sound effects set the mood, while flash deals on seasonal décor encourage quick purchases.
• Food and beverage shops can turn evenings into a treat stop. Glow-in-the-dark drinks and Halloween snack bundles are sold only during night hours, making them feel both limited and festive.

FAQs about Halloween Marketing

• What are unique Halloween marketing ideas for small businesses?
  

Small businesses can stand out by offering limited-edition Halloween bundles, hosting in-store trick-or-treat events, or creating AR filters for social media. Personalized packaging, themed pop-ups, and collaborations with local influencers also work well without requiring a big budget.

• How do eCommerce stores boost sales during Halloween?
  

Ecommerce stores boost sales by running flash sales with countdown timers, offering free gifts like candy or stickers, and creating Halloween-themed product bundles. Adding gamified experiences, such as spin-the-wheel discounts, and using social media ads with spooky creative can further drive conversions.

• When should you start a Halloween marketing campaign?
  

Most brands see strong engagement when they launch Halloween campaigns in late September or early October. This gives shoppers enough time to browse themed collections, place pre-orders, and share content before the holiday rush. Starting early also helps brands avoid the last-minute ad competition.

• What are examples of successful Halloween brand campaigns?
  

Sephora’s AR try-on for Halloween makeup looks, Burger King’s “Scary Clown Night” campaign, and M&M’s seasonal packaging are standout examples. These campaigns worked because they blended creativity with customer interaction, making Halloween shopping feel like an experience rather than just a purchase.